The Book of Bristol

Reading the City: A City in Short Fiction

by Heather Marks (Editor), Joe Melia (Editor), Helen Dunmore

A city much celebrated for its culture of resistance and community, Bristol has fostered a progressive attitude amongst its people. Its voice is loud and singular. But since the regeneration of the harbourside and years of private development in the centre, it’s also a divided city, with a fifth of its children being reported as living in low-income families.

From the elusive angel who turns up at a stagnant café along the Malago River, to the witch trying to expel a spirit from her granddaughter at their home on Dundry Hill, the stories gathered in this anthology lean into the understated magic of Bristol and maintain an air of mystery that will leave readers wondering who exactly makes up this city – and how they stay so powerful.

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2023

Reviews

[Lizzie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

soo fun to read stories set in Bristol

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bristol if a fine candidate for Comma Press’s fascinating series of books that bring together writing on cities. It’s a place I have been exploring with relish since moving to the southwest of England and overall, this book reflects the multicultural and societal mood of a city that is sometimes gritty but always enticing. As with some previous volumes in the series, the quality of the stories ranges – Magnus Mills is one of the bigger names here and his story of an overcoat from the early 70s is one of the best. Tessa Hadley is also on good form with a nostalgic piece that recalls the work of Beryl Bainbridge while my other favourites were the class and race infused opener from Sanjida Kay and Rebecca Watts on the sometimes unlovely Bristol Channel coastline. Elsewhere, Christopher Fielden’s story didn’t work for me but overall, it’s a nice collection.